The delivery crew pulls away, you open the third box, and the leg of your dining table is snapped clean off. A PCS damage claim is how the military lets you recover that loss, and it is one of the few parts of a move that pays you back for something going wrong. It is also one of the easiest benefits to lose, because the whole thing runs on two deadlines that start the day your shipment is delivered.
One of those deadlines changed in 2026. Shipments picked up on or after May 15, 2026 now get a full year to file, instead of nine months. This guide walks through what to do on delivery day, how to file in the Defense Personal Property System, what full replacement value really pays, and when to hand the file to your service's claims office.
The Two Deadlines That Decide What You Get Paid
Almost every denied or underpaid claim comes down to missing one of these. They are separate, and they run at the same time from your delivery date.
- 180 days to give notice. You tell the moving company, in writing, which items are missing or damaged.
- 9 or 12 months to file the itemized claim. This is the detailed, item-by-item claim with values and photos.
According to Military OneSource, if your shipment was picked up on or after May 15, 2026, you have up to 12 months from the delivery date to file the itemized claim. If it was picked up before that date, the older nine-month deadline still applies. File after your deadline and you are only eligible for depreciated value, not full replacement value.
The claim clock from delivery day forward. Source: Military OneSource, Understanding Moving Claims (updated July 2026).
The 180-day notice window applies to household goods shipments picked up on or after May 15, 2020, and non-temporary storage shipments picked up on or after July 1, 2021. Older shipments than that are held to the previous 75-day rule.
What Full Replacement Value Actually Means
Your household goods are covered at full replacement value, often shortened to FRV, at no extra cost to you. That coverage is automatic. You do not buy it.
Full replacement value means the transportation service provider, or TSP, which is the moving company the government hired for your shipment, owes you the lesser of the repair cost or the replacement cost for each item. If a qualified inspector says a piece can be repaired for less than it costs to replace, the company may pay for the repair instead.
A replacement item has to be the same or a similar item. It can be new or used. The company will still ask you to show what the item was worth, what condition it was in, and what it costs to replace.
That last sentence is the reason the next section exists.
Step 1: Document Everything on Delivery Day
Your claim is only as strong as what you can prove. Delivery day is your best and cheapest chance to build that proof.
- Take dated photos of any damage before the crew leaves, including the packing material it came out of.
- Check the inventory numbers against the boxes and note anything missing before you sign.
- Ask the crew for the Notification for Loss and Damage At Delivery form and fill it out with them.
- Confirm the moving company's contact information is legible on that form.
- Do not throw away a damaged item, and do not get it repaired, until the claim is settled.
If you shot before-photos during pack-out, this is where they pay off. A PCS binder with your inventory and receipts turns a frustrating negotiation into a short one.
Step 2: Give Notice of Loss or Damage
Notice is the short version. You name each item, give its inventory number, and describe the loss or damage in a sentence. You do not need values or photos yet.
There are two ways to do it. You can sign the Notification for Loss and Damage At Delivery form on delivery day, or you can submit the Notification of Loss and Damage After Delivery form in the Defense Personal Property System, the same portal where you booked your move. Look for "Start My Loss and Damage Report."
You can send more than one notice inside the 180-day window. Every time you unpack another box and find something broken, add it.
Step 3: File the Itemized Claim in DPS
This is the detailed filing, and it is where most of the work is. For each item, gather what you can:
- Manufacturer and model number
- A short description of the item
- The inventory item number from your shipment
- Purchase price and year of purchase
- A plain description of the damage
- A repair estimate, if you have one
- Photos and receipts
One exception worth knowing: non-temporary storage and direct procurement method shipments are not filed in DPS. Those claims go straight to the moving company by email, fax, or mail.
What the Moving Company Owes You, and When
The moving company is on a clock too. These are the deadlines it has to meet for shipments picked up on or after May 15, 2020.
| Step | Company's deadline |
|---|---|
| Confirm it received your claim | 15 calendar days |
| Pay, deny, or make an offer (claims of $1,000 or less) | 30 calendar days |
| Pay, deny, or make an offer (claims over $1,000) | 60 calendar days |
| Respond to your counteroffer | 7 calendar days |
| Hire a repair firm | 20 calendar days from claim submission |
| Inspect the item being repaired | 45 calendar days |
| Pay or repair after you accept a settlement | 30 calendar days |
